{"id":18079,"date":"2026-06-20T13:01:47","date_gmt":"2026-06-20T13:01:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dev.iita.org\/news-item\/cote-divoire-delegates-seek-strategic-collaboration-with-iita-to-bolster-coffee-and-cocoa-research\/"},"modified":"2026-06-29T16:53:52","modified_gmt":"2026-06-29T16:53:52","slug":"cote-divoire-delegates-seek-strategic-collaboration-with-iita-to-bolster-coffee-and-cocoa-research","status":"publish","type":"news-item","link":"https:\/\/iita.org\/fr\/news-item\/cote-divoire-delegates-seek-strategic-collaboration-with-iita-to-bolster-coffee-and-cocoa-research\/","title":{"rendered":"C\u00f4te d\u2019Ivoire delegates seek strategic collaboration with IITA to bolster coffee and cocoa research"},"content":{"rendered":"

Delegates from C\u00f4te d\u2019Ivoire\u2019s Council of Coffee and Cocoa (CCC)<\/a> et le Centre National de Recherche Agronomique (CNRA)<\/a> visited IITA<\/a>-CGIAR<\/a> headquarters in Ibadan from 7 to 11 April. The familiarization visit marked the first in a series of engagements to build strategic partnerships, explore research models, and adopt modern technologies to strengthen C\u00f4te d\u2019Ivoire\u2019s agricultural development\u2014starting with its key commodities: coffee and cocoa.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"The
The Ivorian delegates with IITA Technical and Senior Management Staff in a meeting exploring partnership opportunities for the advancement of cocoa and coffee production in Africa.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/p>\n\n\n\n

C\u00f4te d\u2019Ivoire is prominent in global agriculture, accounting for 45% of the world\u2019s cocoa and 24% of cashew production, and it ranks as the second-largest oil palm producer in Africa. Recognizing the importance of research in sustaining this status, POKOU D\u00e9sir\u00e9, Scientific Coordinator at CNRA, emphasized, \u201cOur government and decision-makers have decided to upgrade research in coffee and cocoa, with the mission to research and implement best practices to optimize production.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Welcoming the delegates, IITA\u2019s Deputy Director General, Partnerships for Delivery, Kenton Dashiell, highlighted the alignment of goals between IITA and CNRA. \u201cWe share similar needs in infrastructure development, funding, and delivering on food security. IITA is fully committed to collaborating with you to achieve your mission,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

During the weeklong visit, the delegation toured key IITA facilities, including the Genebank, Bioscience Center, Virology Unit, Breeding Unit, Research Farms, Facilities Management Services (FMS), and I-house, among others. They engaged in thorough discussions with scientists and professionals on genomic selection, pest and disease identification, best agronomic practices, and mechanization technologies relevant to their crops of interest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"IITA
IITA team and Ivorian delegates after deliberations to advance partnerships for improved cocoa and coffee systems.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/p>\n\n\n\n

TAHI Mathias, Director of Research at CCC, applauded IITA\u2019s robust infrastructure and professional environment. \u201cIITA has shown us that we can achieve food security with the right systems in place. We do not need to reinvent the wheel. This collaboration will fill critical gaps in our agricultural research structures,\u201d he said. He also commended the professionalism and social cohesion he observed among IITA personnel\u2014from drivers to laboratory technicians\u2014and the inclusive leadership demonstrated by senior management.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The delegates expressed particular interest in IITA-CGIAR\u2019s advanced work in mechanization, noting its potential to revolutionize C\u00f4te d\u2019Ivoire\u2019s agriculture. They also explored shared challenges, such as aflatoxin contamination in cocoa and coffee, and the potential for drought-tolerant crop research in the face of climate change.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dashiell, reflecting on IITA-CGIAR\u2019s broader mission, stated, \u201cOur vision of \u2018Transforming African Agriculture\u2019\u2014developed over a decade ago in Mozambique\u2014still holds true. Even beyond IITA-CGIAR\u2019s mandate crops, we aim to support agricultural systems across the continent.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The visit ended on a high note, with both parties reaffirming their commitment to long-term collaboration\u2014aligning knowledge with technology and building on shared values to deliver practical solutions for African farmers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Contributed by Folake Oduntan<\/em><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Delegates from C\u00f4te d\u2019Ivoire\u2019s Council of Coffee and Cocoa (CCC) and the Centre National de Recherche Agronomique (CNRA) visited IITA-CGIAR headquarters in Ibadan.<\/p>","protected":false},"featured_media":18080,"template":"","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}}},"tags":[],"science-area":[],"program":[],"location":[],"news-type":[],"hub":[61],"crop":[175],"impact-areas":[],"item-year":[203],"class_list":["post-18079","news-item","type-news-item","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","hub-western-africa","crop-coffee","item-year-203"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/iita.org\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news-item\/18079","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/iita.org\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news-item"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/iita.org\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/news-item"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/iita.org\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news-item\/18079\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":20160,"href":"https:\/\/iita.org\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news-item\/18079\/revisions\/20160"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/iita.org\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/18080"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/iita.org\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=18079"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/iita.org\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=18079"},{"taxonomy":"science-area","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/iita.org\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/science-area?post=18079"},{"taxonomy":"program","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/iita.org\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/program?post=18079"},{"taxonomy":"location","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/iita.org\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/location?post=18079"},{"taxonomy":"news-type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/iita.org\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news-type?post=18079"},{"taxonomy":"hub","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/iita.org\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/hub?post=18079"},{"taxonomy":"crop","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/iita.org\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/crop?post=18079"},{"taxonomy":"impact-areas","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/iita.org\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/impact-areas?post=18079"},{"taxonomy":"item-year","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/iita.org\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/item-year?post=18079"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}